“The margins and the dictation” (pages 160, euro 15) is the title of the new book by Elena Ferrante that Edizioni E / O will publish on November 17th. This is not a novel, but “conversations about the pleasure of reading and writing” by one of the most loved contemporary Italian authors in the world thanks to the saga of “Brilliant friend”, which hides behind a pseudonym. This book contains four texts by Elena Ferrante on others and on her own “adventure of writing”: these are three master classes for the citizens of Bologna on the occasion of the ‘Umberto Eco Lectures’ to be held starting from November 17, 2021, and a essay composed for the closing of the conference of the Association of Italianists on the theme “Dante and other classics”, entitled “The new alphabet of Dante, the words of Beatrice”.
From these high places of culture, Ferrante calls out against “the bad language”, historically extraneous to the truths of women, and proposes a choral fusion of female talents: “Not a line is lost in the wind”. Simultaneously with the release of the book, in Bologna, at the Arena del Sole Theater, from Wednesday 17 to Friday 19 November, at 8.30 pm, “The smarginata writing – Le Umberto Eco Lectures” by Elena Ferrante, a cycle of three lessons in the form of a show: three different texts (“The penalty and the pen”, “Acquamarina”, “Storie, io”, present in the same volume) presented to the public for the first time, to which it gives voice and body ‘actress Manuela Mandracchia. The lessons allow you to listen to Elena Ferrante, and not just to read her, they show a possible theatrical incarnation that, respecting her request for discretion, puts her on stage as an author.
The play is a production of the “Umberto Eco” International Center for Humanities of the University of Bologna, Ert / Teatro Nazionale in collaboration with Edizioni E / O. The world premiere will also be live streaming on the Facebook profiles of ERT, Teatro Arena del Sole, Unibo and Edizioni E / O and on YouTube of ERT and Unibo.